Buying tow hitch
Two weeks ago I bought a new 2017 Toyota Highlander. Today I called the dealer about installing a tow hitch. They quoted a price of $1075 plus tax with wiring. I like the way the hitch looks when Toy...
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I'd be cautious here. Sure $1080 sounds like a lot, and might be, but beware of the hidden costs of aftermarket setups for modern high-tech vehicles.
I bought a 2012 BMW X5 a couple years ago and was quoted $1500 by a couple dealers to put on the official hitch. I managed to get the final price down to about $1100 by doing part of the work myself. And one of the things I learned in the process is that the electronics in the vehicle are so sophisticated, that the cheap route -- which many have taken and later regret, for about $350 or so, leaves you with a screwed up car. Sure the hitch itself is only $240, and the cheap wiring harness is like $25. but you'll rue the day if it disables or screws up other stuff.
I'm not saying that it will, I'm just saying that you need to do your research. The BMW came with parking proximity detectors as well as the ability to tell you on the dash when a tail light or stop light is out, among other things. Those who have opted for the cheap route have reported anomalies like having the parking detectors screaming constantly after hooking up the trailer, or having bizarre lighting issues. Do your research before you jump.
I bought a 2012 BMW X5 a couple years ago and was quoted $1500 by a couple dealers to put on the official hitch. I managed to get the final price down to about $1100 by doing part of the work myself. And one of the things I learned in the process is that the electronics in the vehicle are so sophisticated, that the cheap route -- which many have taken and later regret, for about $350 or so, leaves you with a screwed up car. Sure the hitch itself is only $240, and the cheap wiring harness is like $25. but you'll rue the day if it disables or screws up other stuff.
I'm not saying that it will, I'm just saying that you need to do your research. The BMW came with parking proximity detectors as well as the ability to tell you on the dash when a tail light or stop light is out, among other things. Those who have opted for the cheap route have reported anomalies like having the parking detectors screaming constantly after hooking up the trailer, or having bizarre lighting issues. Do your research before you jump.
